


Falling Star and Falling Hearts

by heyjules



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Magical Realism, basically au where bokuto is a literal star, dedicated to hq!! ch 331 because it changed my life, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29162781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjules/pseuds/heyjules
Summary: Akaashi is pretty sure Bokuto is a star. Not metaphorically, though there's that too. No, Bokuto is somehow a literal from-outer-space, ball-of-gas, twinkle-twinkle-little star. Akaashi makes lists about it.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 16
Kudos: 48





	Falling Star and Falling Hearts

One autumn evening, a star falls on Tokyo. Falling stars are rare; even across the entirety of the universe, only a few are falling at any given time, and even fewer land on Earth. 

You may be tempted to compare falling stars to shooting stars, but you would be completely wrong in doing so. It would be like comparing giving birth and shitting— one creates a life and the other creates a shit, so they’re really not at all alike, except for the motion of pushing something out. 

So a falling star is nothing like a shooting star, except for the motion of flying through the sky. A falling star is something else entirely. It creates a life.

The fall is long, almost passive. Crossing a threshold of several light years takes, well, several years, which is a long time to spend going somewhere but never getting there, not yet. He’s been on this trajectory for nearly as long as he’s existed. The star is young, but he’s seen more everything and more nothing than most people ever will: tumultuous galaxies, colorful and loud explosions of cosmic matter, and planets spotted with what he imagines are civilizations, and— and millions of miles of empty space. He sees it all in passing, never staying and always on track to keep falling. 

As he falls, the star’s form begins to change: his mass shrinks, his center of gravity weakens, his heat flares become arms and legs. He figures he’s getting close, to wherever he’s supposed to be heading, and thinks, _Oh! This is so cool!_ as he flexes new fingers. By the time the star enters Earth’s solar system, he’s a star that’s got hair and internal organs and shining, golden eyes. He falls and falls, past Saturn’s rings and the asteroid belt and Earth’s atmosphere, until one autumn evening, he falls on Tokyo.

Bokuto Koutarou celebrates his birthday on September 20. He doesn’t know when he was actually born— are stars even born or do they just exist? He should ask Akaashi about this, he would know— so he just celebrates the night that he landed on Earth. He still remembers it, falling onto an office rooftop in a quiet suburb of Tokyo, nervous but also incredibly excited. He’s finally _here_ , even if he doesn’t know where here is, just that it’s someplace he gets to stay. No more endless expanse of black space, no more perpetual falling.

It’s also the night he first meets his mom. After he spends some time cooling off from the fall and testing out all his cool new body parts, a woman opens the rooftop door. She looks tired, but her eyes widen immediately as they lock onto a child alone on the roof, desperately trying to lick his elbow. 

Bokuto really likes when his mom tells this story, because she makes him sound really funny and cute, even when he remembers being really scared of her. (On her part, Bokuto’s mom had thought he was lost and likely traumatized, considering how little he spoke and how new everything seemed to him. But she had also thought about how she and her husband had been trying for another child, how badly her two daughters wanted a baby brother, and how _maybe_ fate works in incomprehensible ways.)

After working with the authorities and attempting to find his identity or any relatives, the Bokuto family officially adopts Koutarou a year later. At the end of her story, Bokuto’s mom calls him “my miracle baby Kou!” and he beams as his sisters tease him. He feels warm. Not the hot burning of a star, nor the cold empty of space, just warm.

Bokuto’s not the smartest, but he still knows better than to go around telling people he’s a star. Not that he minds not telling people. It’s hard to remember, much less describe, the experience of being in an entirely different corporeal form (definitely used “corporeal” right!). 

And even if Bokuto could explain it, people wouldn’t really believe him. Even his family doesn’t really; they still think he suffered an unfortunate case of amnesia before they found him.

But that’s fine with Bokuto because has plenty of other things to talk about! He tells his sisters cool facts he reads about owls, and he talks to his classmates about video games, and once he starts playing volleyball, well— Bokuto _really_ likes volleyball. He likes watching volleyball, he likes playing volleyball, and he likes talking about volleyball. So he really doesn’t mind not talking about being a star, because, well, he can just talk about volleyball!

* * *

Akaashi lives a pretty unremarkable life. He lives with both of his parents and no siblings. (No tragic backstory). 

He tries his best in school and gets good grades. He does as he’s told and uses an appropriate level of formality with the people around him. (No wild delinquency). 

He reads books, practices piano, and plays volleyball on his middle school team. (No secret double life or superpowers). 

Akaashi lives an ordinary life because this is real life, and not a crazy sci-fi movie or one of those shows where the characters never stop gaining new powers. Akaashi isn’t really bothered by this; most people are ordinary by definition, and Akaashi is like most people, that’s all.

Towards the end of his third year in middle school, Akaashi meets someone truly unordinary. 

Bokuto Koutarou, first year wing spiker for Fukurodani, plays volleyball with an intensity that shocks Akaashi. He’s loud and excitable, and he treats everyone on his team with overwhelming friendliness, jumping on their backs and chest bumping his coach. He bounces and yells and laughs, and all of it captivates Akaashi. He can’t look away. 

But most of all, when Bokuto jumps for a spike, Akaashi catches a brief moment when Bokuto seems to just float. He’s hanging in the air— arms ready to strike, back broad, and muscles twitching between anticipation and release. His whole body practically glows; the sight makes Akaashi shiver. For a fleeting second, Akaashi thinks that Bokuto kind of looks like a star, shining from high in the sky. 

As fast as the moment comes, it ends. Bokuto hits the ball, lands on his feet, yells out an exuberant “Hey, hey, hey!” and Akaashi feels himself pulled into following this star to Fukurodani Academy.

* * *

The morning after his first practice with the Fukurodani Boys’ Volleyball Team, and his first extra spiking practice with Bokuto, Akaashi is approached by second years Konoha Akinori and Komi Haruki.

“Hey, Akaashi,” Konoha starts as he enters the doorway of Akaashi’s classroom.

“Oh, Konoha-san, Komi-san. Nice to see you both.”

“Really, there’s no need to be so formal,” Komi replies, scratching the back of his head and blushing in a way that makes Akaashi realize his teammate feels awkward but flattered by the sentiment.

Konoha continues, “We know you stayed late to practice spikes with Bokuto yesterday, and he can be a real pain sometimes, so if you ever need a break from him, just say the word!”

The second years both smile, pausing to look at Akaashi, who stares blankly at them in return. Yesterday had been unexpected and tiring, but it had also been...good. He likes playing with Bokuto.

Konoha pushes on, “I won’t swap places with you, but I’ll help you think of excuses.”

“Aw, you’re not even gonna swap out for him?” Komi jokes. “What kind of senpai are you, huh?”

“Hey! If you’re offering to practice extra with Bokuto, be my guest!”

Akaashi watches his teammates’ teasing before interjecting, “Ah, I’m okay. It’s fun for me to be able to practice with a star player.”

Now it’s Konoha and Komi who stare at Akaashi blankly. “A _what_ player?”

“Uh.” Akaashi doesn’t really know how to explain himself.

There’s a beat, Konoha and Komi’s faces still blank. _Great_ , Akaashi thinks, _I’ve made this really weird with my new teammates. I should quit the team and drop out of school and never show my face in public again and—_

Then, the two upperclassmen burst out laughing.

“Oh! Because of the glowing thing, of course!” Komi says, slapping Konoha’s back as they both have a fit over Akaashi’s desk. They’re still laughing, and Akaashi feels very solidly out of the loop.

“Man, I really didn’t expect you to notice so soon!” Konoha says, straightening up from where he’s been hunched over Akaashi’s desk. “Bokuto doesn’t even glow that often.”

“Argh, you must be something else, Akaashi,” Komi adds. “It took almost a whole year for him to do it in front of me!”

Akaashi feels solidly out of the loop. Yes, Bokuto, with his shining smiles and swooping jumps, does remind Akaashi of a star, but did Komi really just say that Bokuto glowed? Is this what Akaashi had presumably “noticed”?

But before Akaashi can ask, the bell begins ringing, and Konoha and Komi hurry back to their classroom, waving to Akaashi as they leave.

* * *

Akaashi doesn’t take up Konoha’s offer to make excuses and avoid Bokuto. Instead, he ends up spending even more time with Bokuto. It starts as practice, and then extra practice, which becomes taking the train together, and eventually even eating lunch and studying together.

Akaashi doesn’t bring up the weird conversation with Konoha or Komi. Or with Bokuto. Akaashi wants to know more, and he could probably just ask— Konoha and Komi are plenty open with him— but he can’t figure out how to broach the topic. Akaashi knows he’s probably getting in his own head, but he can’t help it.

So Akaashi doesn’t bring up the conversation or the glowing. But he can’t let go of it either.

So Akaashi watches Bokuto.

* * *

Several weeks pass without anything notable. Akaashi falls into a solid routine of school, practice, extra practice with Bokuto, studying, and sleeping. If he were any less diligent, Akaashi would have given up on the glowing issue entirely.

Still, it’s in the back of Akaashi’s mind when Bokuto spikes into the net from frustration, when Bokuto challenges Shirofuku to another eating competition, and one night, after three extra hours of spiking, when Bokuto walks to the train station with Akaashi.

“My spikes felt so good today!” Bokuto exclaims, turning to face Akaashi.

“Yes, Bokuto-san, your cross was especially good today,” Akaashi replies.

“Of course it was,” Bokuto yells, puffing his chest out, suddenly smug. Akaashi doesn’t like where this is going.

“You know, Akaashi, I’m going to be the number one ace in all of Japan, so of course my spikes have gotta be awesome!”

“Bokuto-san, you’re not even in the top five yet. Please focus on improving and getting into the top five before you say things about being number one.”

“Akaaaashi,” Bokuto pouts, drawing out all the wrong syllables.

Akaashi sighs, yielding to Bokuto’s whining and impromptu monologue on “the importance of timing, Akaashi.” Akaashi’s body feels dead tired, but he still can’t help but smile. Despite his earlier comment, Bokuto’s spikes _had_ been in top form today, a thrill to watch.

They find seats on the train, relatively empty at this hour, and Akaashi leans his head back and closes his eyes, letting Bokuto’s rambling wash over him. Akaashi thinks he’s talking about brands of volleyballs now.

“But Akaashi,” Bokuto says, voice suddenly growing serious, pulling Akaashi out of his own head. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter if I’m the number one, or top three, or top five ace.”

Akaashi opens his eyes to look at his friend, whose golden eyes are staring resolutely forward. Akaashi lets his own eyes sweep over Bokuto’s profile: his wild hair, his bright eyes, his sloping nose, his mouth— 

Bokuto turns to look at Akaashi. “Even if I’m the bottom zero ace, I just want us to win Nationals with my spikes and your tosses.”

Akaashi stares. He feels his mouth slightly gaping, throat dry, but he can’t help it. Bokuto is staring so earnestly, right at Akaashi, freezing him in place. Bokuto is staring at him with those golden, glowing eyes. Golden, glowing eyes. Golden, glo— 

Bokuto’s eyes are glowing.

Bokuto’s eyes are _glowing_.

“Uh,” comes out of Akaashi’s mouth. He feels ridiculous, so in shock. Akaashi clears his throat, trying to buy himself time, but all he can think to say is, “Bokuto-san, there’s no such thing as bottom zero.”

Bokuto blinks, his eyelids shuttering and briefly blocking out the light from his eyes. _Fuck_ , Akaashi thinks.

Then, Bokuto laughs. He doubles over, holding onto his stomach as he laughs, saying things like “I told you, Akaashi, timing!” and “Of course I don’t wanna be the worst, I was just saying that!” all of which pass right through Akaashi’s scrambling mind.

Akaashi is still processing _my spikes and your tosses_ and glowing eyes and the intense Bokuto of it all. 

Because it’s one thing for Bokuto to want to win Nationals. Akaashi already knew that. Anyone who’s spent even ten minutes with Bokuto would know that. But for Bokuto to specifically want _Akaashi_ there, being the one to toss to him— he almost can’t think about that right now.

And then there’s those eyes. Steady and washed golden, light just radiating out of Bokuto. It was almost unnoticeable, barely brighter than the train’s overhead lights. But when turned onto Akaashi, piercing straight into him, it had felt as bright as the sun. _As bright as a star_ , briefly crosses Akaashi’s mind. He _definitely_ can’t think about that right now.

So between the volleyball thing and the glowing thing, Akaashi picks volleyball.

“Bokuto-san,” he says.

Bokuto turns from where he’d been laughing in his seat, aiming those still-glowing eyes onto Akaashi. _I’m never going to get used to that_ , Akaashi thinks.

Akaashi takes a breath, in and out, before he continues, “Bokuto-san, I understand. I want to toss for you at Nationals, too.”

Bokuto grins wide. “I knew you’d get it, Akaashi! We’re gonna keep practicing, and I’m gonna become a top five ace, and you’ll toss tons of spikes for me, and then we’ll win Nationals!”

He says it with a conviction that makes Akaashi think, _Yes, I’ll follow you to Nationals, I’ll follow you anywhere_.

After parting ways with Bokuto at the train station, Akaashi walks home alone. The night is so quiet he can hear his own breathing, but Akaashi’s mind is elsewhere, seized by a pair of golden, glowing eyes.

He lets out a shudder of breath, closes his eyes, and tilts his head back. He tries to clear his mind. _Calm down, it’s just Bokuto_. He takes a deep breath before opening his eyes again.

The sight of the night sky knocks the rest of Akaashi’s breath out of his lungs. Hundreds— no, thousands of stars, crowded and dusted across the black body of the night. The skyscape glitters, almost laughing. Every dot shines boldly, making a journey across hundreds of light years to create this tapestry that overwhelms Akaashi. He stands still underneath the cosmos.

Later, it will occur to Akaashi that the stars are never that visible, at least not in Tokyo.

But now, looking up at the stars, he only thinks of Bokuto. Bokuto, a star player; Bokuto, full of love and energy; Bokuto, whose eyes glow— 

_Oh_ , Akaashi thinks. _Bokuto is a star_.

* * *

Akaashi thinks of himself as a reasonable person. He’s level-headed, and he thinks things through. Which is why he knows this new theory is absolutely absurd. Akaashi isn’t even entirely sure what he means when he thinks that Bokuto— who is, by all appearances, a human being and not a ball of exploding gas— is somehow a literal star.

And yet, he can’t let go of the thought. So like any self-respecting, totally reasonable individual, Akaashi begins collecting evidence.

The list starts like this:

#1 Bokuto’s eyes can glow. Other witnesses include Konoha and Komi. Unclear what causes the glowing. This is the strongest evidence that Bokuto is, if not a star, at least some sort of supernatural entity.

The list continues like this:

#8 Bokuto doesn’t get cold. At night, or in the rain, he doesn’t seem bothered by the cold, even if he isn’t wearing enough. Will further investigate in the winter. 

The list ends up like this:

#14 Bokuto is an absolute show-off. Is this because stars are used to being marvelled by others? Unclear what this means, but it seems worth noting.

Akaashi is stuck. At this point, he doesn’t know which of Bokuto’s eccentricities are star things, and which are just, well, Bokuto things. Does eating too fast mean anything? Is it because stars burn a lot of energy? _Or_ , Akaashi tells himself, _Bokuto just doesn’t have any self-control when it comes to meat_.

Akaashi sighs. He doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but he figures it’s better to keep track of everything than miss something that ends up being important.

He picks up his pen and writes:  
#21 Bokuto eats too fast for his own good. Unclear what this means.

* * *

Akaashi has officially lost it. Over the last few months, he’s been spending more and more time with Bokuto, which leads to more time observing Bokuto and writing down anything noteworthy. And lately, everything feels noteworthy.

The list now includes things like: 

#52 Bokuto likes to collect kitschy owl trinkets.

Akaashi can’t even pretend that Bokuto’s affinity for all things owl-related has anything to do with him possibly being a star. And yet, when Akaashi recalls Bokuto showing off his “owl collection,” as he called it, Akaashi can’t help but want a written record of it. Something that says, _I, Akaashi Keiji, got to be someone Bokuto invited into his home and shared his treasured collection with_.

But it’s not just owl shirts and stuffed animals. Akaashi finds himself wanting to write down everything about Bokuto: his bouncing leg on bus trips, his love of science fiction movies, and even his moody slumps on bad hair days. Akaashi’s journal is filling up fast, and he hasn’t gotten much closer to figuring out if Bokuto is a star, but he can’t bring himself to stop.

Akaashi sighs. They’re on the bus to a tournament, the first of his high school career. He looks over at the subject of his dilemma and his current seat buddy. Bokuto is watching a video of himself, getting excited seeing himself spike past a row of blockers from last year. _He seems pretty focused and hyped up_ , Akaashi thinks. _Good_.

Akaashi figures he can think about stars and lists and owl trinkets later. For now, they have some volleyball matches to win.

They do win their first few matches. But it’s in the middle of their semifinal match that Akaashi gets hit with a “Please don’t toss to me anymore today!”

Akaashi feels a little baffled. Sure, Bokuto seemed off at the beginning of this set, but Akaashi didn’t think he would actually go into dejected mode during an official match. Still, the rest of the team seems unfazed, staying collected like they always do.

So, taking his cue, Akaashi replies, “Okay, Bokuto-san. Please use this time to calm down and focus.”

Bokuto turns away— still upset or just dumbfounded, Akaashi doesn’t know— but Akaashi’s mind is running now. He should probably take his own advice, _Calm down and focus_ , but he can’t stop thinking about Bokuto. _And during the semifinals of all times,_ Akaashi thinks, equally fond and exasperated. _How troublesome_.

He knows the team will be fine without Bokuto. They’ve already gotten a decent lead into this set, and Washio and Konoha have both been playing exceptionally well today, more than enough to make up for Bokuto’s temporary low.

Still, as Washio gets ready to serve, the inside of Akaashi’s head is flipping through every possible thing that could’ve set Bokuto off. His hair was fine today, he had eaten this morning on the bus (but not too much as to not upset his stomach), and a girl from his class had even come to watch and complimented him. He had warmed up well, his spikes were slamming past the blockers, and really, nothing had seemed off until he started getting repeatedly blocked at the beginning of this set.

The beginning of this set.

Did something happen at the beginning of the set?

The opposing team calls for a time out, pulling Akaashi out of his focus. As he predicted, everyone on the team has been excellent and reliable since Bokuto landed in dejected mode. And Bokuto himself has been itching to hit the ball, his hovering presence screaming out, _Toss to me!_

But as much as Akaashi wants to see his ace back in top form, he knows it’ll only be worse if he misjudges this and Bokuto ends up getting blocked again. He needs to get to the bottom of this.

So Akaashi does something he’s been doing a lot of lately: he watches Bokuto.

They’re taking a break on the bench, drinking water. Bokuto is spaced out, holding his water bottle upside down as he looks past their side of the court. His eyes are clear, his body is still holding itself up, and he’s steadily breathing in and out. _It doesn’t seem like he’s sick_ , Akaashi judges.

Then, Akaashi follows Bokuto’s eyes up into the stands. There’s a woman, supporting another school, holding up a sign that reads: _Soar into the sky. Slam past all walls. Victory is yours._

Akaashi thinks it’s a little corny. He almost comments as much, until his list pops into his head:

#36 Bokuto loves cheesy inspirational sayings.

And sure enough, when Akaashi turns to look at his ace, Bokuto’s eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, looking up at the sign.

_Oh, of course_ , Akaashi thinks. During the previous set, they were playing on the other side of the court, facing the woman and her overdramatic sign. Now, playing on this side of the net, Bokuto can’t see the inspirational message, not unless he completely turns around to look behind himself. Not a good idea in the middle of a volleyball match.

Akaashi faces Bokuto, about to say something when the look on Bokuto’s face makes his breath catch. Bokuto is still concentrating, but Akaashi recognizes his expression for what it is now. It’s the same face Bokuto makes when he’s practicing hitting a hundred serves. It’s the same face Bokuto makes when he’s studying for an important history test. _He’s memorizing it_ , Akaashi realizes. And knowing Bokuto, it’s not just the words he’s trying to remember— it’s the feeling, of soaring into the sky, of slamming past all walls, of victory being his.

Well, Akaashi helps Bokuto study all the time. He can help with this too.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi declares, grabbing his friend’s attention. “I know you can jump high. I know you can get the ball past the blockers. I know you can help us win. So I’m going to toss to you. Please be ready.”

Bokuto smiles, and Akaashi sees the hunger in Bokuto’s golden eyes, steady and fierce. Akaashi grins, _Welcome back, ace_.

Fukurodani wins their semifinal match.

* * *

Fukurodani loses in the finals. 

They get pummeled by Kawahori, a formidable defensive powerhouse that blocks nearly every single cross spike from Bokuto. Fukurodani places second, more than enough for them to advance onto the regional tournament, but the whole team feels the sting from their loss.

It’s the closest Akaashi has ever come to crying over volleyball. It’s also the quietest he’s ever seen Bokuto.

* * *

Even after their loss, when he’s in his lowest of low moods, Bokuto is still unlike anyone else Akaashi knows. Yes, Bokuto sulks and hides under the table, but he also works tremendously hard, invigorated to improve his straight spike. He spends hours practicing, roping in anyone within earshot of the gym to help him by tossing, or blocking, or taking videos.

Akaashi gets roped in the most. Well, “roped in” isn’t quite the right phrase here. It’s more like Akaashi feels drawn towards Bokuto. Seeing everything his friend does, with relentless conviction, makes Akaashi want to follow, to try his best as well.

Akaashi’s best is improving his tosses, watching and making analysis of the team’s play, and editing his list. Akaashi thinks if he can restructure the list, which unexpectedly helped during their semifinal match, it could help Bokuto manage his moods and improve his consistency on the court.

The list goes from “Reasons Bokuto May Be a Star” to “A Full Report of Bokuto’s Strengths, Weaknesses, and Related Strategies.”

“#12 Bokuto energizes those around him and boosts morale” goes under Strengths.

“#24 Bokuto gets dejected on bad hair days” goes under Weaknesses. Its accompanying note reads: “For some reason, Washio has a similar interest and taste in hair. Depending on the circumstance, he can help Bokuto restyle it or reassure Bokuto that his hair looks cool.”

(Akaashi doesn’t know where to categorize “#1 Bokuto’s eyes can glow,” so he leaves it in a footnote.)

And so, Akaashi finds himself caught up in a routine of school, volleyball practice, and editing his list for Bokuto. They play in more tournaments and blow through summer training camp, they win some matches and lose some matches; through the restless months of the summer, Akaashi mostly forgets about the star thing entirely.

* * *

It’s an unusually warm evening for this late into fall; it’s been pretty warm all week, actually. Akaashi is still in the gym, drinking water as he takes a break from tossing to Bokuto, who sits next to him, absentmindedly rolling and gripping a volleyball, catching his breath.

Akaashi feels familiarity and comfort saturate into the evening. Tonight, it’s just him and Bokuto, much like it often is. It reminds Akaashi of his first day with Fukurodani, and his first time helping Bokuto with extra spiking practice. But now, several months older and hopefully wiser, Akaashi sees how much closer he’s grown to Bokuto and the team, how much more he’s put into volleyball, and how thankful he feels to stand here.

Akaashi smiles to himself, allows himself to relish the moment, before he turns to Bokuto— still sitting on the ground— and offers a hand to pull his friend up. Bokuto smiles wide, genuine and dazzling, which makes Akaashi smile even more. He can’t help it, he really loves moments like these.

Bokuto grabs Akaashi’s hand, pulling himself up.

They’ve done this a thousand times before, but perhaps because he’s feeling reminiscent, Akaashi suddenly notices everything about Bokuto’s hand. It’s rough and calloused from volleyball. It fits snugly into Akaashi’s, the large palm— built for spiking— neatly complementing Akaashi’s long fingers— built for tossing. It’s sweaty and warm. It’s hot. It’s really, really hot.

By the time Bokuto has pulled himself all the way up to stand, Akaashi feels like his hand is on fire.

“Bokuto-san, don’t lie to me. Do you have a fever?” Akaashi asks.  
“Huh? What are you talking about, Akaashi?” Bokuto replies, tone light as ever. “I feel fine, I’m in tippy-top shape!”  
“Bokuto-san, I’m serious. Your hand feels too hot. If the fever has already reached your hands, the rest of you must be burning up. I need to take your temperature.”

Bokuto goes still.

* * *

Bokuto goes still. _Shit, shit, shit_ , he thinks.

He’s usually good about keeping his internal temperature, well, internal. But he’d been feeling so good, after such a rewarding practice, and he always feels especially good when he’s with Akaashi— and ah, shit, he really let himself get carried away.

Bokuto is a star, so he has a really high temperature. Like he-broke-the-thermometer-at-his-first-doctor’s-appointment levels of high. (He looked it up, and apparently, star temperatures reach well into the thousands of degrees. He’s _literally_ the hottest person he knows!)

But Bokuto has learned to regulate his temperature, keep it tempered inside of his body where it won’t freak out other people. He’s let it slip before, mostly when he’s emotional, but it’s usually mild enough that people will believe he’s just very hot and sweaty.

Akaashi does not look like he’ll believe that Bokuto is just very sweaty— even if Bokuto is actually getting very, very sweaty now. But Bokuto can’t just really explain that he’s a star, now, can he?

_Think, think, think!_

Bokuto takes a deep breath, in and out, and tries to cool himself down, as fast as he can.

“Akaashi, there’s no need for that. Trust me, I’m not running a fever,” Bokuto insists, cooling himself down as he’s talking. _Shit, he really was running way too hot. He’s never had it so out of control._ “See, you can touch my hand again— and my forehead!”

Akaashi doesn’t look like he believes him; if anything, he looks even more upset. Bokuto feels very unlucky to know someone so perceptive, and very lucky to know someone so caring.

Still, Akaashi reaches out and presses his palm against Bokuto’s forehead.

“Oh,” Akaashi lets out, almost a whisper, “It’s cool.”

“Yeah, yeah! See, everything’s totally fine, I’m just a bit—”

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi interrupts, face still serious, “Did you cool yourself down?”

Bokuto’s jaw drops. In the last sixty seconds, he’s been caught off-guard twice now, each time more surprising. It makes Bokuto’s head spin in panic. Akaashi still has his hand on Bokuto’s forehead, standing right up in Bokuto’s face. Bokuto looks at Akaashi’s dark eyes, so close to his own and so damn observant, and kind of wants to spiral— down, down, way down.

Akaashi interrupts Bokuto’s crisis, “You know, I didn’t want to bring this up, and I honestly kind of forgot about it until just now, but Bokuto-san, you don’t ever get cold, do you? Even at night.”

_Bullseye_ , Bokuto thinks. It’s a perk of having a high temperature, though he doesn’t at all know what to do with the fact that Akaashi somehow knows this.

Akaashi continues on, “And your eyes can glow, even though I’ve only seen it once.”

This surprises Bokuto. He knows his eyes can glow, but it’s instinctual, so most of the time, he doesn’t realize when he does it. And apparently, he’s done it in front of Akaashi. _What the fuck_.

Akaashi keeps going, “And, one time—”

“I get it!” Bokuto yells, interrupting Akaashi, who drops his hand from where it laid on Bokuto’s forehead. Akaashi looks shocked and a bit embarrassed, as if only just now aware of what he’d been saying and where his hand had been. He takes a step back from Bokuto.

But Bokuto feels entirely too overwhelmed to notice his friend’s reaction. His brain is running haywire, about to explode. Because Akaashi, like some sort of super detective, _knows_. He might not know everything, but he knows at least something. And even if he hasn’t outright said it, Bokuto guesses that he wants some sort of explanation.

And Bokuto wants to tell him. Oh, he wants to tell him so badly. It would be nice to have someone know this about him, this thing that has unintentionally become some sort of deep, dark secret. It would be nice to have someone he could share all about how much of the universe he’s seen.

And even more than that, Bokuto wants to tell _Akaashi_. Because he knows Akaashi, knows his tosses and his eating habits, knows his sarcastic retorts and incredible mind and dedicated heart. Bokuto knows Akaashi, and because of that, he trusts him, too.

But right now, standing in the gym with his legs shaking and his heart pounding, Bokuto can’t tell him, even if he wants to. The turn of events has thrown him so far into emotional chaos, and if he’s doing this, he wants to do it properly, for Akaashi’s sake.

It’s Akaashi who breaks the silence. “I’m sorry, Bokuto-san. I overstepped. I shouldn’t have—”

“No, no!” Bokuto blurts out, his hands jumping to grab both of Akaashi’s hands. It grounds him.

Bokuto clears his throat. “Um, Akaashi.”  
“Yes, Bokuto-san?”

_Akaashi looks as patient and beautiful as ever,_ Bokuto thinks. “Um, Akaashi, I have something I wanna tell you. But I don’t wanna tell you right now. So, um, will you go stargazing with me this weekend?”

Akaashi doesn’t say anything. He looks flustered.

Maybe Bokuto wasn’t being clear. “Because, um,” Bokuto stutters out, suddenly realizing how nervous he feels. “Because I’ll explain what I wanna tell you when we go stargazing! If you wanna go, that is,” Bokuto finishes, trailing off and letting go of Akaashi’s hands.

Akaashi gives Bokuto a soft smile. “Of course, Bokuto-san. Of course I’ll go stargazing with you.”

* * *

On Saturday, Bokuto shows up at Akaashi’s place (on time!) and takes him out for dinner before they go stargazing. Bokuto feels jittery with anticipation and excitement, but putting food in his stomach soothes him, and so does the easy flow of conversation with Akaashi. 

They both know that something big will happen tonight— though Bokuto doubts Akaashi fully understands just how big— but here, in the corner of this restaurant, everything between them feels as comfortable and steady as ever. It puts Bokuto’s heart at ease. If nothing else, he doesn’t think he’ll mess up so bad tonight as to ruin what he has with Akaashi.

Akaashi who sends beautiful, soaring tosses that fulfill all of Bokuto’s volleyball dreams. Akaashi who is so smart, and diligent, and beautiful, and funny that it drives Bokuto crazy. Akaashi who is often quiet and soft, but keeps up with Bokuto in every way.

Akaashi whose long, slender fingers are now pointing chopsticks at Bokuto. “Bokuto-san, are you okay? You’re eating very slowly today,” he comments, before adding on, “Well, slow for you at least.”

“Oh young Akaashi, let your senpai give you some wisdom,” Bokuto replies, putting on his best wise-owl voice (it’s a pretty good voice, even Kuroo agrees). “I have a wealth of experience, you know.”

“You’re only a year older than me.”

“Like I said,” Bokuto clears his throat, “I have a wealth of experience. And so, I know that if you eat too fast, your stomach will hurt, so that’s why I’m eating slow now.” He crosses his arms and closes his eyes for a final emphasis, but then peeks one eye open to watch Akaashi’s reaction.

Turns out, Bokuto didn’t need to open his eye. Akaashi lets out a loud burst of laughter, ringing loud and clear in Bokuto’s ears, a bright and hiccuping sound that he wants to save forever.

“You’re absolutely right, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says, still smiling wide. Bokuto can’t help but smile back. He doesn’t really get what Akaashi thinks is so funny, but Akaashi’s smile always makes Bokuto wanna smile too. Then, Akaashi smirks, “But you still eat faster than me.”

“Well, I can’t help it! Food gets me fired up!” Bokuto insists.

And Akaashi laughs again, and Bokuto wants to stay here, with a laughing Akaashi, forever.

They don’t stay at the restaurant forever, because _I thought you had something planned, Bokuto-san_. So they take the train a little farther out of Tokyo, and Bokuto leads Akaashi to a quiet clearing by an empty park. Bokuto puts down some blankets (he came prepared!) and invites Akaashi to lay down next to him. His friend does as asked, and the two look up at the sky, their backs against the earth.

It’s a quiet night, and warm, too, like it has been all week. Bokuto looks up at the stars, pretty and twinkling, and he imagines being up there with them, instead of down here next to Akaashi. It’s strange to think about. 

Bokuto knows he’s not exactly human, but he feels more human than star. Because all the stars are supposed to be up in the sky, where they blink down at Bokuto, who feels like he’s supposed to be exactly where he is. Here, on Earth. Here, where he has a family and plays volleyball and plays pranks on Kuroo and goes to school (though he’d be willing to give that one up, if anyone’s asking)— and stargazes with Akaashi.

Akaashi who, next to him, is quiet, except for the slow inhale and exhale of his breathing. Bokuto watches his friend’s chest expand in and out, an unbroken rhythm that Bokuto feels his own lungs matching. Akaashi’s face is turned straight to the sky, eyes fixed upwards. Bokuto watches those eyes, calm and dark, reflecting the darkness of the night.

Then, Akaashi’s eyes turn to face him.

Oh, Bokuto’s been caught staring.

“Bokuto-san, do you know what that star is called?” Akaashi asks, pointing at the star biggest and most visible to them.

“Nope!” Bokuto replies, honest as ever. “I don’t really know anything about astronomy or stars.”

“You don’t know...anything?”

Bokuto nods. He’s never really cared to study astronomy. There’s way cooler stuff out there, like volleyball.

“Oh, uh,” Akaashi responds, tripping over his words, “I thought you would some things, given uh— well, you know—”

Akaashi doesn’t sound upset, just confused, but Bokuto doesn’t like what he’s implying. 

“Hey! I know plenty of stuff about all sorts of things!” he tells Akaashi, because Bokuto suddenly feels it’s very important that Akaashi know how much stuff Bokuto knows, if that’s the kind of thing Akaashi cares about.

“I— that’s not what I meant,” Akaashi says, but Bokuto barrels on.

“Like I know tons of facts about owls! Just ask me about owls instead!” He looks at Akaashi expectantly, big golden eyes eager.

“Um, sure, Bokuto-san. So, uh, what do you know about owls?”

“So glad you asked, Akaashi!” Bokuto responds, before listing off all of the facts he knows about owls, which he feels will surely impress Akaashi.

Bokuto doesn’t know if he ends up impressing Akaashi, but he does eventually see a soft smile on Akaashi’s face, gently lit up by the moonlight. The sight almost makes Bokuto breathless, but he needs to get out this one last owl fact, so he presses on.

“Hey, Akaashi?” Bokuto whispers, his voice suddenly soft, carried by a warm, night breeze.

“Yes, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi responds, turning to lay on his side, his whole body facing Bokuto. He waits, patient.

Bokuto feels a shiver down his spine, his back still against the ground. He looks up at the stars, then back at Akaashi. He continues, “Do you wanna know my favorite fact about owls?”

Akaashi smiles, “Of course I do.”

“When I was little, soon after I was adopted, my mom gave me a book about owls.”

“You’re adopted? I didn’t know that.”

“Oh, yeah, I am, but it’s not that important to the story. You gotta pay attention, Akaashi!”

Akaashi laughs, “Okay, you’re right, Bokuto-san. Please continue.”

Bokuto smiles. He made Akaashi laugh. “Anyways, the book had all sorts of cool facts about owls, but my favorite one was that owls have really big eyes and good night vision.”

“Mhmm,” Akaashi hums. “Why is that one your favorite?” he asks, using the present tense because he knows once Bokuto latches onto something— like he did with owls, with volleyball, with Akaashi— he’s not really one to let go. Bokuto’s favorite owl fact at seven years old is still Bokuto’s favorite owl fact at seventeen years old.

“Because it means they can see the stars super well, even better than humans,” Bokuto says. He flips all the way over to his side, fully facing Akaashi, the two of them like a pair of cupped hands.

Bokuto continues, “They can see way more stars that are way farther away. And maybe they could even see one that was falling out of the sky, or one that doesn’t look like a normal star, or one that was right in front of them.”

Bokuto pauses, breathing hard from his ramble of a sentence. He kind of hopes Akaashi gets it, because Akaashi’s smart like that. Akaashi has his thinking face on, so Bokuto waits. 

They lay in silence for a while, hearing only the sound of crickets and the other’s breathing.

Finally, Akaashi breaks the silence, “Bokuto-san, you’re right in front of me.”  
Bokuto nods.

Akaashi continues, “You’re right in front of me, and your eyes can glow, and your body runs warm, and you shine so bright on the volleyball court, and you make others want to look at you, and you make me gravitate towards you.”

He’s looking at Bokuto so intensely now. Akaashi’s stare makes Bokuto feel overwhelmingly naked, as if his skin has become transparent, laying out his guts and heart for Akaashi to see. 

Bokuto briefly wonders if he has guts at all, since he’s a star; he knows he has a heart, at least, because it’s beating fast and hard, right into his throat.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi whispers, bringing Bokuto back to the conversation. “Are you a star?”

“Yes, Akaashi. I’m a star.”

“How?”

“Um, I don’t really know? I was born in space, but then I fell out of the sky, and kind of became a person, but not really, and now I’m here, so.”

Akaashi stares.

“Okay, okay, I’ll explain from the beginning.” And Bokuto does. 

He tells Akaashi about falling through space, and all of the crazy mind-blowing (if stars have minds?), super cool things out there in the universe. 

He tells Akaashi about his body transforming from a hot ball of exploding gas into a heart, then a torso, and legs and arms. 

He tells Akaashi about his mom, and getting adopted, and feeling like he belonged somewhere for the first time, instead of being perpetually on the way to something else.

He tells Akaashi about regulating his temperature, and finding outlets for his burning energy, and what a gift volleyball had been in that regard.

And Akaashi listens, because he’s a good friend. He listens as Bokuto confirms his observations and surprises him with new information. 

And Akaashi asks questions, adds input from what he’s seen, offers up some theories— because he’s not just a good friend, he’s a great friend. He’s Bokuto’s best friend.

They talk for a long time. It’s the first time Bokuto has ever talked to anyone about being a star, so he’s really excited about it, and Akaashi seems just as thrilled.

Still, when Akaashi lets out two big yawns, one after the other, Bokuto figures it’s time to head home. They stand up and gather up their things. Akaashi lets out another yawn, soft and sleepy, and then he shivers.

_Oh_ , Bokuto thinks, _he’s cold_.

Feeling very warm and very generous himself, Bokuto takes the blanket in his hands, folds it so the clean side is facing outwards, and steps towards Akaashi. He wraps the blanket around Akaashi’s shoulders, draping it over angular shoulders and strong arms.

Akaashi looks up at him, face flushed, which Bokuto hopes means that he’s not cold anymore. Before Bokuto can step back, Akaashi’s hands come up to meet his, still clutching the blanket around Akaashi’s body.

Their faces are inches apart, and Bokuto thinks about how lucky he is to know Akaashi. He was born a star but somehow fell out of the sky and landed here, right in front of Akaashi, one of the best people in the world. If he wished on shooting stars— which he doesn’t, because he worries that he’s not supposed to do that as a star— he’d wish for this exactly. This perfect feeling that he knows Akaashi and Akaashi knows him, all of him.

Akaashi’s eyes flicker to Bokuto’s lips. _Ah_ , Bokuto thinks, because Akaashi’s not the only one who’s observant.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says, hands gripping tighter. If Bokuto didn’t have his own hands under Akaashi’s, he wouldn’t even guess that the other feels nervous at all, with how calmly he speaks. “There’s something I wanted to tell you tonight, as well.”

Bokuto nods. “Of course, Akaashi, you can tell me anything.”

“Before tonight, before you told me, I already figured out the fact that you’re a star.”

_Oh_ , Bokuto thinks _, that’s a first_.

“I’m not even entirely sure how it happened, but the idea came to me, and I haven’t been able to let it go. Because every time I look at you, I see a star. Even when you’re not glowing, or running a high temperature, or any of that. You’re incredible, and I never want to take my eyes off of you. You’re always a star to me.”

It’s one of the most amazing things Bokuto’s ever heard, and it’s about _him_ , from _Akaashi_. 

Bokuto smiles, “I love you too, Akaashi.”

Akaashi looks surprised for a moment, before breaking out into a full grin, and leaning forward into Bokuto’s chest.

“I didn’t even get to say it, yet,” he grumbles.

Bokuto laughs.

Akaashi tilts his head up, and he’s so close Bokuto can feel his breathing. Bokuto stops laughing, his own breathing turning shallow. _God, he’s still so beautiful up close_.

Akaashi brings his lips right up to Bokuto’s, whispers a gentle “I love you,” before their lips melt into each other.

Bokuto and Akaashi first kiss under a sea of stars, and Bokuto thinks that all the marvels of the universe don't measure up to this.

**Author's Note:**

> hi thank you for reading! this is my first fic so i would really appreciate any kudos, comments, feedback etc
> 
> also you can talk to me on tumblr @nahitsjustme if you want


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